Silence.
No one spoke. No one even seemed willing to breathe.
The prison corridor, usually filled with the clinking of chains and distant footsteps, had become unnaturally still after the stranger's final words.
"This isn't the first timeline."
The sentence echoed inside Rin's mind like a broken record.
Timeline. Not story. Not world. Timeline.
His heart pounded loudly against his ribs.
"...Explain," Kaelith said.
His voice was calm. Too calm.
The stranger looked at him, and whatever courage he had gathered shattered instantly. He stumbled backward until his back hit the stone wall of the prison cell.
"I..."
His lips trembled.
"I can't."
Kaelith took one step closer.
"You can."
"I shouldn't."
"You know something."
"I know too much."
Rin quickly stepped between the bars and Kaelith's line of sight.
"Wait."
Everyone turned toward him.
"If he's this scared, pushing him won't help."
Kaelith didn't answer immediately. Instead, he studied the young man behind the bars.
After a long moment... He stepped back.
"Very well."
The tension in the prison eased ever so slightly. Even the stranger looked surprised.
"...You're not threatening me?"
Kaelith frowned.
"Would it help?"
"...No."
"Then it would be pointless."
Rin couldn't help smiling. Sometimes Kaelith solved problems with surprisingly simple logic.
Selara folded her arms.
"What now?"
Kaelith looked toward the guards stationed outside the corridor.
"Everyone except Elder Veyron, Lucien, Vorak and Selara leave."
The guards hesitated.
"But General—"
"Leave."
They obeyed immediately. Heavy boots echoed through the prison until only a handful of people remained.
The stranger watched them leave with visible relief.
"You..."
He looked at Kaelith again.
"...You're different."
Kaelith's eyebrow lifted.
"Different from whom?"
The stranger immediately bit his tongue.
"...Forget I said that."
Rin sighed.
"Okay."
He rubbed his temples.
"I think introductions are overdue."
He pointed at himself.
"I'm Rin."
The stranger nodded slowly.
"...Ji-ho."
"Just Ji-ho?"
"For now."
"...Mysterious."
"I've had a rough week."
"I've had a rough death."
Ji-ho blinked.
"...Fair."
For the first time since meeting... The two Earthlings shared a small laugh.
It was awkward. Brief. But real.
Lucien quietly observed them.
"You truly come from the same place."
Rin nodded.
"Same country. Different cities."
Ji-ho looked at him.
"You said Busan?"
"Yeah."
"I grew up in Seoul."
"Lucky."
"Lucky?"
"You had better public transportation."
Ji-ho stared.
"...You're worried about trains?"
"I miss trains."
"..."
"..."
Ji-ho slowly nodded.
"...I miss convenience stores."
Rin's eyes widened dramatically.
"...Instant ramen."
Ji-ho looked like he was about to cry.
"...Three-minute noodles."
"...Hot coffee."
"...Air conditioning."
"...Internet."
"..."
"..."
The two of them simultaneously sighed.
"I miss civilization."
Behind them... Lucien quietly leaned toward Vorak.
"...What is an internet?"
Vorak whispered back,
"I was hoping you knew."
Selara frowned.
"...Is it edible?"
"No idea."
Even Elder Veyron looked intrigued.
"They speak as though mourning ancient relics."
Kaelith remained silent. Watching Rin.
It was the first time since meeting him that Rin had spoken to someone who truly understood where he came from.
His smile... Though small... Looked genuine.
After a minute, Rin looked back at Ji-ho.
"...Can I ask something?"
"You already are."
"...How did you die?"
Ji-ho answered immediately.
"I slipped."
"..."
"...Slipped?"
"In the bathroom."
Silence.
"..."
"..."
"...You're joking."
"I wish."
Rin blinked several times.
"I died because my company loved unpaid overtime."
Ji-ho scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I died because shampoo made the floor slippery."
"..."
"..."
"...That's embarrassing."
"It was."
"At least mine sounded dramatic."
"I broke my neck next to conditioner."
Rin covered his face.
"I can't believe we both got isekai'd by completely stupid deaths."
Ji-ho nodded solemnly.
"Our ancestors must be disappointed."
Even Kaelith looked mildly confused.
Lucien quietly asked,
"...What is shampoo?"
Rin looked up.
"...You know what? I'm not explaining this one."
The laughter faded. Reality returned. Rin leaned against the bars.
"Ji-ho..."
His expression became serious.
"You knew Kaelith."
Ji-ho's smile vanished.
"...Yes."
"In another timeline?"
"...Yes."
"And you said..."
Rin swallowed.
"...he was supposed to be dead."
Ji-ho looked toward Kaelith. Then lowered his head.
"In my timeline..."
His voice became barely audible.
"...the General died three years ago."
Silence. Selara immediately spoke.
"Impossible."
"It happened."
"How?"
Ji-ho hesitated.
"...He sacrificed himself."
Kaelith frowned.
"For whom?"
"I don't know."
"You were there." Rin asked .
"I wasn't."
Ji-ho looked miserable.
"I only saw the aftermath."
Rin's programmer brain immediately started organizing information.
Timeline One. Kaelith dies. Timeline Two. Kaelith lives.
Current Timeline. Unknown.
Nothing matched the novel anymore.
His biggest advantage... His knowledge... Was disappearing.
Lucien folded his arms.
"If the General died..."
He looked directly at Ji-ho.
"...Who led the Demon Army afterward?"
"No one."
"What?"
"The kingdom..."
Ji-ho looked exhausted.
"...Collapsed."
Vorak's fists slowly clenched.
"The fortress?"
"Destroyed."
"The capital?"
"Burned."
"The royal family?"
"...Dead."
Nobody spoke. The prison suddenly felt much colder.
"And then?"
Rin asked quietly.
Ji-ho looked into empty space.
"As if remembering something he desperately wished to forget."
"The monsters came."
"You've mentioned them."
"They weren't normal monsters."
"What do you mean?"
"They..."
His breathing quickened.
"They learned."
Everyone frowned.
"They fought like soldiers. They used weapons. They organized."
Selara's eyes widened.
"Impossible."
Ji-ho shook his head violently.
"I watched one command the others."
Silence settled over the group. Suddenly—
A blue flicker appeared beside Rin.
For half a second.
Then vanished.
Rin's eyes widened.
"...System?"
Nothing. Then—
Another flicker. A broken screen appeared.
Unlike before...
The cheerful smiley icon was gone.
The familiar blue window was cracked with black lines spreading across it.
Letters appeared. One by one.
[Loading...]
[...]
[Timeline Synchronization...]
[12%]
[...]
[Error.]
[...]
[Observer...]
The words glitched violently.
[Obser—]
[Obse—]
[OBSERVER DETECTED.]
Every letter turned crimson. Then—
The screen disappeared.
"..."
"..."
"...Did anyone else see that?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Only Rin had. His blood ran cold.
Deep within the mountains west of the fortress...
A lone figure stood atop a cliff. A black cloak fluttered in the wind.
Their face remained hidden beneath a hood.
Below them... A crystal the size of a castle pulsed with pale blue light.
Thousands...No... Millions of names floated inside it.
Some glowed brightly. Others had already faded. The hooded figure slowly raised one hand.
One name drifted closer.
RIN LEE
Status:
ACTIVE
Timeline:
UNSTABLE
Probability:
UNKNOWN
The figure smiled.
"So...You survived another correction."
With one finger... They touched the crystal. Another name appeared beside Rin's.
KAELITH
Status:
ALIVE
Deviation:
Increasing.
"Excellent."
The figure whispered.
"The pieces continue moving."
Without another word...They vanished into the darkness.
Back inside the prison...The conversation had ended.
Not because every question had been answered. Because everyone had too many questions left.
Elder Veyron finally spoke.
"We will continue this tomorrow."
Selara nodded.
"The prisoner remains under heavy guard."
Ji-ho didn't protest. He looked too tired to care.
One by one... Everyone left the corridor. Except Rin.
Kaelith noticed.
"You are staying?"
"For a minute."
The Demon General studied him. Then simply nodded.
"I will be nearby."
Those four words carried an odd warmth. Rin smiled faintly.
"I know."
Kaelith disappeared around the corner. The prison became quiet once more.
Ji-ho sat against the wall inside his cell. Rin sat on the floor outside it.
Neither spoke for several minutes. Finally... Ji-ho broke the silence.
"...Do you miss home?"
Rin laughed softly. Not because it was funny. Because if he didn't laugh... He might cry.
"Every day."
"The food?"
"Yeah."
"Your parents."
"...Yeah."
" My apartment. Even the rent."
Ji-ho chuckled weakly.
"I miss traffic."
Rin looked at him.
"...That's insane."
"I know."
"But it was familiar."
"..."
"...Yeah."
It was.
Ji-ho looked toward the ceiling.
"You've met good people."
Rin followed his gaze.
"I have."
"They weren't like this before."
Rin frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Ji-ho smiled sadly.
"In my timeline... Kaelith never smiled. Lucien hated every demon. Vorak..."
His expression darkened.
"...Never survived the first siege."
Rin froze.
"What?"
Ji-ho nodded once.
"He died protecting refugees."
Silence.
"So..."
Ji-ho continued.
"...Things are already changing."
Rin slowly stood.
Hope. Just a little. But enough.
Maybe...The future wasn't fixed. Maybe...
The tragedy could really be avoided. As he turned to leave—
Ji-ho called his name.
"Rin."
He looked back. Ji-ho's face had become frighteningly serious.
"Listen carefully."
"What?"
"If anyone asks...Never tell them everything you know."
Rin frowned.
"...Why?"
Ji-ho stared into his eyes.
"Because in every timeline...someone is always listening."
The torches lining the prison corridor suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed everything. A cold breeze swept through the underground halls.
And somewhere... Far beyond the fortress...
Someone quietly laughed.